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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/29870046">The Black Viper</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/cyar1ka/pseuds/cyar1ka'>cyar1ka</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>The Equalizer (Movies)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>F/M</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-03-06</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-04-30</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-16 01:48:07</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Mature</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>3,693</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/29870046</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/cyar1ka/pseuds/cyar1ka</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Dave faces some unlikely competition.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Dave York/Original Female Character(s), Dave York/Reader, Dave York/You</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>8</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Prologue</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Warnings: Language, descriptions of death</p><p>A/N: Oh, look! Another Dave York fic? Who would've thought!?😁</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Dave was ready to rip something, or more accurately, someone, apart. When Resnik had delivered the news that they had failed to complete the mission, Dave flew into a rage, throwing his cup of coffee across the room, and flipping the table over. <em>This was not supposed to happen. Things like this do not just happen. Not on purpose and not by accident. Especially not to me.</em> He was extremely pissed, to say the least, bordering on the edge of fury.</p><p>This was the third assignment he had taken in the last five months, and each of his targets was eliminated before he had a chance to. Five months of dealing with some unknown person getting the task done before the team could. He had spent countless hours finding the perfect opportunity to take out the names on the papers, whether it be by the bullet of his gun, a seemingly normal accident, or a dispute gone wrong, but this particular individual was showing him up.</p><p>He sometimes questioned his choice to become a mercenary, but the money was just too good. At least it usually was. He and the boys were always able to get jobs done with no issues, but that was not the case as of late. Contracts were starting to dry up from the lack of results and his reputation was now on the line. Dave was growing vengeful and cursed the one stealing all of his hits, a formidable opponent.</p><p>Dave was going to utilize all his resources to track down this unknown character and lodge a bullet in their brain. Nothing was going to get in his way, and he would do everything in his power to put an end to this madness. He was willing to put everything on the line to achieve his goal, even if it killed him. He had spent the last month and a half looking into this mysterious rival, but each lead turned out to be a dead end. He had made use of his agency contacts, hoping to uncover something, anything, but each attempt was futile. The only thing someone had managed to scrounge up was a moniker. <b>The Black Viper. </b></p>
<hr/><p>Dave was determined to piece this puzzle together and unmask his anonymous foe, pulling some strings to acquire the autopsy reports on his failed assignments. He wishing that there was something he would find hidden amongst the paperwork. Each autopsy reported small puncture marks on the victims’ necks, about the size of a small needle, accompanied by swelling and bruising around the injection site.</p><p>According to the information, all of the victims showed signs of paralysis, asphyxiation, or heart failure, sometimes all three, in addition to excessive bleeding from their gums and the hole in their neck. He dove deeper into the material and read that some of the peoples’ internal organs had such severe tissue damage that their insides had essentially been eviscerated. Scouring the data on what could kind of substance was responsible for such grotesque deaths, he found the toxicology reports, raising his eyebrow as he scanned the words. <em>The moniker is very fitting.</em></p><p>Each of the people had an unnaturally high of venom in their bloodstream. From the test results, the venom was a lethal hybrid concoction of cytotoxins, hemotoxins, and neurotoxins. The various toxins could be found in different families of snakes, but never all three types within one family. The coroner surmised that the neurotoxin was derived from the Elapidae family of snakes, the most famous being the black mamba, and the cytotoxin and hemotoxin from the Viperidae family, more commonly known as vipers. <em>The Black Viper.</em> <em>Impressive.</em></p><p>Normally the median lethal dose from a viper, depending on the species and the size of the human, varied from 40-70 mg for every kg of body mass. In contrast, the median lethal dose for a black mamba was estimated to be between 0.03-0.04 mg/kg. This particular combination of venom had a cytotoxin and hemotoxin dose of about 4500 mg and a neurotoxin dose of about 3 mg, enough to kill a person between 150-200 pounds. This meant all the victims suffered painstakingly excruciating deaths, possibly succumbing to the poison within a matter of hours or maybe even minutes. <em>The Black Viper certainly wanted them to feel agonizing torture before they died. That’s pretty fucked up, even for me.</em></p><p>Dave flipped through the papers, finding the police statements describing the condition of the bodies. Some had collapsed in public, appearing to suffocate, gasping for breath, while others were in more private spaces, body crumpled to the floor, a look of anguish upon their face. This type of method was well thought out, and the people had probably been doused well before they died, giving the Black Viper enough time to disappear from the scene.</p><p>Whoever this person was they were undoubtedly skilled and knew their poisons, something that not many people had such intimate knowledge of, unless they worked with those animals consistently. <em>Someone who worked at a zoo perhaps? No, too easy. They wouldn’t be able to figure out the ratio of toxins needed in the venom to be lethal, and they definitely would not know how to escape the crime scene undetected. No, unless they were some kind of specially skilled zoo worker, it was highly. Maybe someone who reads a lot of books? Or knows their chemical compounds? Hmmm. This, without a doubt, will be an interesting case of events. Better watch out Black Viper, I’m coming for you.</em></p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Let The Games Begin</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Dave finally completes some assignments, but it’s short-lived.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Warnings: Language, descriptions of death, violence</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Dave sat in the hotel, going over blueprints of the house. He and the team had accepted a contract in Mexico, and he was anxious to get it completed before The Black Viper made an appearance and beat him to it. He had been holding off on taking any jobs for the last month after finding out how his foe killed, waiting for any more killings that they did. Things were quiet. A little too quiet.</p><p>He hoped that the job in Mexico would go smoothly, but he still kept a lookout for any sign that his rival was there. While the men studied the blueprints, Dave looked over the photos of their mark. Horacio Garcia, a man in his mid to late forties, well-known within the local drug lord’s circle. Dave’s task was to ensure the man’s death, making it look like the opposing side was responsible. The drug lord, Jose Gonzalez, had found out that his henchman was stealing his money and drugs, and the powerful man was none too happy about it.</p>
<hr/><p>Dave had been in Mexico for three weeks now, observing their target and his habits. The man was making things too easy for them. Every day, at 6 pm, he would go to a brothel and spend at least an hour there, going home to his loving wife and children shortly after. In the mornings, he would report to his boss and then go to the central warehouse where their lab was. He would spend a solid five to six hours there, leaving in a fully loaded truck, and make two drop-offs to their dealers. Dave had given Kovac the job of trailing Horacio, and Kovac reported that the man would leave several kilos in the truck after the first two drop-offs before meeting with someone else, someone who was not in the drug lord’s circle. <em>He’s clearly not worried about his boss finding out. Fucking idiot.</em></p><p>Dave looked over more details about Horacio and found his opening. They would take him out on his way to one of the drop-offs before planting a bullet in his head, making it look like he had been attacked. Dave made sure to map out the routes Horacio usually took and found that part of it cut through the forest, giving them the perfect opportunity for an assault. They needed to make things look like the other side had done it, so instead of executing things cleanly, they had to give the appearance of a shootout. <em>Easy enough.</em></p><p>Three days after the team finalized their plans, they hiked up to their posts, dressed in tactical gear, AK-47’s strapped to their chests. They had to leave traces of the drug lord’s competition, so they would use weaponry that was easily acquired by such characters. After all, it had to look like a dispute between cartels. Ari would follow Horacio from the warehouse, alerting them once Horacio made the first drop-off. The second drop-off took the man through the trees, and that was where he would die. They waited in the brush for the truck to come into sight, and they were not disappointed. <em>Gotcha.</em></p><p>Dave fired off the first shot, taking out the truck’s back tire. Resnik approached from the right-hand side, unloading his magazine into the side of the car, as Dave and Kovac advanced from the front and rear. The ring of gunfire echoed through the trees as they peppered the vehicle with bullet after bullet. Horacio Garcia didn’t stand a chance. The man was slumped against the driver’s seat, riddled with holes, blood pouring from his body, coating the interior of the truck. Dave signaled Resnik to empty the truck of drugs, the drug lord wanting his supply back quietly. Once he was satisfied with the result of their elimination, the trio fled the scene, returning to the drug lord’s home. They tossed down the bag of drugs on the doorstep, Jose’s right-hand man retrieving it, throwing a bag of cash into their vehicle.</p><p>“Gracias, señor,” he stated, entering the mansion. Kovac drove them back to their hotel, where they promptly packed their gear to leave the country. They never stuck around long enough to see their handiwork, keeping a low profile after a job. Dave checked his phone, waiting from his agency contact regarding the status of The Black Viper and if they had struck again. Nothing. He growled at the lack of news, wracking his brain for why his opponent would be so dormant.</p>
<hr/><p>Two months passed. Two months of inactivity from The Black Viper, and Dave was growing antsy. They decided to take another contract, this time to assassinate the CEO of an up-and-coming company cleanly. A larger company wanted to absorb its assets, but the smaller company had refused all offers, no matter what price was thrown their way. The four men were to kill the CEO, making it look like an accident, and Dave was ready for the task. Like all their targets, they watched for any patterns in behavior. Men like these always had routines, and they had no trouble establishing the CEO’s movements. The board that held the information on the man was covered with photos and notes about his daily life.</p><p>
  <b>7:30 am: Target departs home.</b>
</p><p>
  <b>8:15 am: Target arrives at the office.</b>
</p><p>
  <b>10:00 am: Target and assistant depart for various meetings in town.</b>
</p><p>
  <b>1:45 pm: Target and assistant return to the office.</b>
</p><p>
  <b>2:30 pm: Target leaves for lunch, goes to local restaurant two blocks down.</b>
</p><p>
  <b>3:30 pm: Target returns to the office.</b>
</p><p>
  <b>6:00 pm: Target departs the building and returns home.</b>
</p><p>Dave could not see many opportunities for an assassination, the man being around too many people on a regular basis; nevertheless, he continued to look through the file they had put together. Dave scanned the papers, his eyes landing on the listed allergies and medical conditions.</p><p>
  <b>Medical conditions: </b>
</p><p>
  <b>None</b>
</p><p>
  <b>Allergies:</b>
</p><p>
  <b>Cats</b>
</p><p>
  <b>Dogs</b>
</p><p>
  <b>Peanuts – when ingested</b>
</p><p>
  <b>Bees</b>
</p><p>A sinister smile appeared on Dave’s face. <em>Bingo.</em> Peanut allergies were prevalent, some people being affected if peanuts were in their vicinity, others only having a reaction when the nut was ingested. For the latter, they typically steered clear of anything that contained them; however, that was not always an easy task. <em>Especially not in a busy restaurant during lunch hours.</em> He began to formulate ideas. They would somehow have to get peanuts into the CEO’s food, a task not easily done, though not impossible.</p><p>After three days of deliberation, their strategy was ready. Ari was to pose as a substitute cook, the regular one having mysteriously come down with a bout of food poisoning, placing crushed peanuts and peanut oil in the food. Not enough to be obvious, but enough to cause a reaction that would result in anaphylactic shock. Resnik would pose as a server, delivering the tainted food to the CEO. Dave and Kovac would monitor the situation, posing as patrons, ensuring things would go smoothly. At least for them.</p><p>The day after finalizing plans, they set things in motion. Their mark followed the usual schedule, going into the office, having meetings, etcetera. Dave and Kovac arrived at the restaurant ten minutes after him, sitting at a table with a clear line of sight to the man. Ten minutes passed, and the food finally arrived. The man began to eat his food, having ordered a salad and a burger with fries. Within two minutes, he began to choke, violently coughing as the peanuts penetrated his system. The other patrons glanced at the man, thinking he was choking on his food, and paid him no mind. After two minutes, many of them began to worry, and one man went over, attempting to perform the Heimlich maneuver. Their target continued to gasp, clutching his throat frantically. One woman called 911 in a panic. Three minutes later, the man’s wheezing ceased, eyes rolling to the back of his head, his body going limp.</p><p>The ring of sirens could be heard in the distance, but it was too late. One minute later, the paramedics arrived and began to assess the unresponsive man. One of them started CPR, tilting his head back, breathing into his mouth, while the other began compressions. Nothing. They attempted to resuscitate him for two minutes before stopping, one of them placing a hand against his neck and shook their head.</p><p>“No pulse,” they stated, sadness written on his face as they failed to save a life. Several women at the restaurant began to cry, having just witnessed a man die in front of their eyes. At that point, police had reached the restaurant and observed the situation. They spoke into their radios and nodded for the paramedics to place the corpse in a black body bag and stretcher, wheeling it to the ambulance, and then drove off. Several of the officers began to question the witnesses and get information. ‘He began choking,’ ‘tried to help him,’ ‘stopped moving.’ The police collected statements and questioned everyone there, Dave and Kovac included. Satisfied with the answers, the cops left the restaurant, and the team faded into the background, satisfied with the result.</p>
<hr/><p>Two more months passed—still no news about The Black Viper. Dave had completed two more contracts after the CEO, and he was more than happy. The amount of money they had made with the last several hits was enough to last them a while, but Dave wanted more. His lust for money and thirst for blood was insatiable. Ever since they had completed four jobs, they were back in business, and he could not have been happier. He poured over several contracts that had been presented to him. He had been so busy the last several months that today he decided to relax, take it easy.</p><p>However, he still found himself going over potential targets while he sat at the coffee shop. He always enjoyed coming here, loving the quaintness the little café offered. It was situated in a quiet part of town, not far from his apartment, and it was attached to a bookshop. He had spent many days there, browsing the assortment of titles sitting on the shelves, and he had grown quite a collection since discovering the hole-in-the-wall treasure. He would often find himself wandering there to go over prospective contracts, taking a seat at one of the tables in the corner, enjoying an espresso and pastry. Other days he would stroll into the bookshop and scan the aisles for stories that might interest him. It did not help that he had a pleasant view every time he would make an appearance.</p><p>The girls working at the bookshop and café were very enjoyable to look at, but one, in particular, stood out to him. She was a shy little thing, never meeting his eyes, and from his observations, she was like that with everyone. Depending on the day, she would either be tending to the bookstore or café, and Dave found himself seeking her out during each visit. Sometimes he had even asked her for a suggestion on novels to read, and she would meekly respond with a personal recommendation. He always enjoyed those books as they captured his attention, and he would lose himself in the stories, just like he would to thoughts of her.</p><p>Once or twice, he had seen several men approach her, looking to take her out, and every time she would kindly refuse them. Always in her timid manner. She also rarely made idle chit-chat with her coworkers, busying herself with tasks here and there, and he could tell she had a great work ethic. <em>I wonder what she does outside of here? She always seems to be here.</em> Due to the high demand for his services, he had not been able to stop in over the last few months, and he was looking forward to seeing her. Even if she didn’t know he was there. He was surprised when he noted her absence at the store, and he had been there for quite a while. <em>I wonder where she is. Did something happen? </em>Dave decided to ask one of the other baristas regarding her whereabouts.</p><p>“Oh! She had a family emergency to take care of, and she’s been gone for a while,” her coworker had stated. “About five months or so from what I remember. She said it was overseas or something? I don’t know; I don’t really pay attention to her.”</p><p>Dave nodded his head at the news. <em>Strange.</em></p><p>“When will she be back?”</p><p>“No clue. She told the manager like six months or something,” replied her coworker with a shrug.</p><p>“Thank you.” Dave strode back to his apartment, a little disappointed. He was kind of looking forward to seeing her pretty face.</p>
<hr/><p>A month later, Dave found himself waltzing down the street to the bookshop in hopes of seeing her. He did not even know her name; however, her reserved nature drew him in. As quiet as she was and the few interactions that had taken place between them, he wanted more. With his lifestyle, dating was not really at the forefront of his mind, though he still found ways to quench that thirst within him, even if it was just for a night. Yet with her, she had captivated him. The way she went about her business, a fly on the wall, was intriguing. A man of his skill could always get a read on people, but with her, she was like a blank slate, and he wanted to get under the surface and unravel her.</p><p>He walked into the café, bell ringing, announcing his arrival. He scanned the coffee bar and spotted her. She looked worn out and tired, dark bags under her eyes, but she still had that silent beauty around her. He approached the cash register, and she looked up to meet his eyes, a blush creeping up her cheeks.</p><p>“What can I get you today?” Her tiny voice asked.</p><p>“I’ll have a double shot espresso and a blueberry scone, please,” he coolly replied with a smile. She nodded and wrote his order down.</p><p>“The usual then,” she stated, surprising him. <em>Huh, she knows my order.</em> “That will be $7.45.” He handed her his card, and she awkwardly ran it. Handing it back to him, she smiled at him, one that did not reach her eyes.</p><p>“Thank you,” he said, taking the card from her. He took a seat by the window, pulling out the remaining files he had to look over, still contemplating which one he wanted to accept. A few minutes later, he heard someone approach, and he looked up, seeing that it was her.</p><p>“Your order, Mr. York,” she announced, setting the espresso and scone down, and he accepted it with a smile. <em>She knows my name, but I never gave it to her.</em> Dave was again thrown off, but only slightly. <em>Oh, she must have read it on my card.</em> Her behavior was different, and her appearance was worrisome. <em>What happened to her?</em> She nodded at him before returning to her station. He shook all thoughts out of his head as he resumed the task at hand. <em>Which one to take?</em></p>
<hr/><p>He spent several hours there, mulling over which job to take, and decided on a more straightforward one—an abusive husband. The wife was willing to pay more than enough money to make him disappear. <em>Piece of cake.</em> Dave texted Resnik about the new assignment and then messaged the client accepting their offer. He needed to get this bloodlust out of his system, and he was looking forward to making a piece of shit disappear.</p><p>This time it took the team very little time to prepare their plans, deciding to shoot the man at home and make it look like a burglary done wrong. The wife would be able to cash out on the life insurance policy, and they would have an easy mark. Four nights after undertaking the contract, they snuck into the house, guns drawn and at the ready. They moved through each room silently, carefully going to the husband’s office. The wife had informed them that he spent most evenings there, so they would have no trouble finding him. Ari silently opened the door and stepped into the room, the rest of the team following behind. The sight that greeted them made Dave’s blood boil.</p><p>“FUCK!” he cursed, surveying the scene. The husband was face down on the desk, bruising on his neck where a small puncture mark sat.</p><p>
  <b>The Black Viper had struck again.</b>
</p>
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